Labor studies has interesting courses and I would love to take one someday. If it needs to merge with History, Political Science, Anthropology or Sociology, then the administration should give them all the necessary time needed to do so. Politicians generally don't have PhD's, so they should stay out of the curricula. If business interests are deciding political issues, that is facism.
As the Chair of the Labor and Community Studies program at City College of San Francisco and a board member of the Center for Labor Research and Education at U.C. Berkeley, I strongly support full funding for the DLS at IU. We recently saw California restore funding for the UC program here and believe the legislature in Indiana should do the same. It's a matter of equity and fair treatment for working people, especially in today's globalized economy. Full funding for the DLS!
It was a pleasure to study with students in Labor Studies at Port Elgin, Ontario Canada this winter. I feel it is a worthwhile program and there should be more of them throughout the world.
Labor built this nation, and studying the work of the people to whom we owe this great debt is absolutely essential. Susan Feiner, Professor of Economics, University of Southern Maine
As a former student in the IU Labor Studies program I can attest to its value and importance to all who are interested in higher education about what has made this country great. It would be a grave mistake to cut back or eliminate any portion of the outstanding Labor Studies program. Our children's and grandchildren's future depends on strong education in all facets of life and work. Therefore, I completely support the petition as stated.
In a nation where there's pride in a tradition of fairness to all and some of the world's best business schools, it's hard to believe there's a move to abolish a program on labor history.
Labor history is not taught in primary educationa and concluding its existence in secondary education is unfair to the citizenry. We should be allowed the education of ourselves and the working class.
workers and their allies need institutions of higher education to fund labor studies as seriously as they fund schools of business and business management. Academic study of workers, their organizations and interests is crucial for schools to subsidize as part of their commitment to true education for all citizens. Often labor studies programs are the only institutions with academics willing and interested in exploring issues very specifically AND for the good of the vast majority.
Labour studies is as important to is any other facet we study about history. The labour movement is what has helped to shape western civilization. In order to determine where we go next, we have to look back on where we've been.
